Saturday, April 25, 2009

Nike FeelFree - Headset for Relaxation. Identification, Ideation, and Solution.

Hannes-Seeberg-headphones-ideation-concept-development-nike-depression-relief-designexposed-design-exposed-1Hannes Seeberg of Provoke Design in Tallinn, Estonia doesn't begin the design process with the design aesthetic and functional requirements all worked out in his mind. He allows the process of discovery to determine the needs that he must meet in the final solution. It didn't begin with perfect sketches or all of the necessary research laid out on a breadcrumb laden path either.Hannes-Seeberg-headphones-ideation-concept-development-nike-depression-relief-designexposed-design-exposed-2Hannes began by identifying a problem that affects 15% of the worlds population, which is depression. And 80% of these 15% are not undertaking any medical or psychological assistance. According to Hannes research, depression will be the second largest killer after Heart Disease by 2020.Hannes-Seeberg-headphones-ideation-concept-development-nike-depression-relief-designexposed-design-exposed-3Aside from the statistics and percentages he then began to research how the mental health of those affected by depression are currently being treated and how he may be able to present a new method of treatment utilizing sound. In the interest of moving forward and allowing the research Hannes conducted to speak for itself. I will move on to presenting Hannes ideation process and look at his sketches so that we are able to discover how Hannes thinks on paper.
Hannes-Seeberg-headphones-ideation-concept-development-nike-depression-relief-designexposed-design-exposed-4In this initial set of sketches you can clearly see into Hannes thought process. His preliminary sketches present us with a form language for the speaker area of the headphones that is similar to what we are already familiar with seeing. Hannes is aware that he isn't developing a solution for listening to traditional music as we know it. And thus his solution shouldn't look like what we are traditionally accustomed to seeing. He is developing a solution "that uses advanced technology to read brain frequencies and change it toward the applied stimulus without having a side affect on the users hearing." As this sketch page develops, Hannes is moving away from what tradition has taught him. He is now beginning to explore alternative methods of sound delivery. This is most clearly illustrated in the last sketch on the page above, which in profile presents itself as an S shape. (lower right)Hannes-Seeberg-headphones-ideation-concept-development-nike-depression-relief-designexposed-design-exposed-5Now that Hannes has broken from tradition and is developing a concept that considers how sound is presented to the user. He is tasked with developing a pair of headphones that align with the aesthetic, functional, and performance minded values that the Nike brand encompasses. And in order to do this accurately, he must research the Nike brand and discover the underlying styling ques that tie all of their products together within the product segment he is targeting.Hannes-Seeberg-headphones-ideation-concept-development-nike-depression-relief-designexposed-design-exposed-6As we see his, around the ear, concept develop we begin to see the lines of his sketches take on a more precise and intentional path. The curvilinear shapes begin to develop and take on a personality of their own and and breakaway form the rectilinear forms he was developing earlier. As he proceeds to develop the personality of his concept we see a more evident direction come into focus. A solution that is symmetrically balanced and uses a curvilinear silhouette to garner the attention of the user. Indicating that these aren't headphones solely designed for reproducing the whales of your favorite artist!Hannes-Seeberg-headphones-ideation-concept-development-nike-depression-relief-designexposed-design-exposed-7
Hannes has taken a step back and developed a solution that projects the sound toward the users ears similar to how it would in a more natural environment. The form he has created is a new aesthetic vision for how sound is presented to the listener.Hannes-Seeberg-headphones-ideation-concept-development-nike-depression-relief-designexposed-design-exposed-8He has accomplished this while also accurately conveying the excitement, personality, and dependability of the Nike brand.

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